In apa citation for definition, you cite the source like any other work, giving author, year, entry title or term, source title, and a full reference.
When a paper leans on a definition, readers expect to see where that wording came from. An apa citation for definition tells your reader exactly which dictionary, textbook, or article supplied that meaning, and it does so in a tidy, predictable format.
Many students feel unsure about definitions because the wording often comes from reference works with group authors, no dates, or no page numbers. The good news is that APA 7 treats definitions as normal sources. Once you know how APA handles dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other reference texts, you can handle almost any definition in a consistent way.
APA Citation For Definition: Core Idea
At its heart, an apa citation for definition has two parts: an in-text citation right next to the definition and a matching reference list entry at the end of the paper. The in-text piece gives a short signal (author and year) so the reader knows the source on the spot. The reference list entry then spells out full details so anyone can track down that exact definition.
With definitions, APA usually treats the entry like a short chapter in a reference work. You name the group author if there is one, give the year or use “n.d.” when the date is missing, then give the entry title or word, the title of the dictionary or encyclopedia in italics, and the rest of the source information. Online reference works that update often also need a retrieval date.
The table below sums up how APA 7 handles common definition sources. You can use it as a quick map before you write a full reference.
| Source Type | In-Text Pattern | Reference List Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Online dictionary, no date | (Merriam-Webster, n.d.) | Group author. (n.d.). Word. In Title of dictionary. Retrieved Month day, year, from URL |
| Online dictionary, with date | (Oxford Languages, 2020) | Group author. (Year). Word. In Title of dictionary. URL |
| Print dictionary | (American Heritage Dictionary, 2015) | Group author. (Year). Word. In Title of dictionary (Edition). Publisher |
| Online encyclopedia entry | (World Book, 2019) | Group author. (Year). Entry title. In Title of encyclopedia. URL |
| Definition in edited book | (Smith, 2021) | Author, A. A. (Year). Term. In B. B. Editor (Ed.), Book title (pp. xx–xx). Publisher |
| Definition in journal article | (Lopez & Chen, 2022) | Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, volume(issue), page range. DOI or URL |
| Course glossary in learning platform | (OpenLearning Glossary, n.d.) | Group author. (n.d.). Term. In Course glossary title. Site name. URL |
| Handout from instructor | (Garcia, personal communication, March 5, 2024) | Personal communications appear in text only; no reference list entry |
APA’s own guide to dictionary entry references shows more variations, but the basic pattern above stays the same across sources.
Apa Definition Citation In Text And Reference List
When you bring a definition into your writing, the in-text citation tells readers who supplied that wording or idea. The next step is to make sure the reference list carries the same author and year, so the reader can match the two quickly.
Paraphrasing A Definition
Paraphrasing means you restate the meaning in your own words. This is the safest option in most assignments because it shows that you understood the term. Even when you paraphrase a definition, you still need an in-text citation close to the phrase that came from the source.
In a parenthetical citation, you place both the group author and the year in brackets at the end of the sentence, like this:
Burnout is a response to long-term stress that drains energy and involvement (Merriam-Webster, n.d.).
In a narrative citation, you weave the author into the sentence and put only the year in brackets:
Merriam-Webster (n.d.) describes burnout as a response to long-term stress that drains energy and involvement.
Both versions point to the same source. The choice depends on how you want the sentence to flow. Either way, the wording tells the reader which reference list entry to match with that definition.
Quoting A Definition Word For Word
Sometimes an assignment or rubric asks you to show the exact wording from a reference work. In that case, you quote the definition and give quotation marks around the borrowed words. You also add location details when they exist, such as a page number or paragraph number.
For a print dictionary, you can usually treat the page number as you would for any other quoted material:
Resilience is “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to change” (Merriam-Webster, 2016, p. 1023).
Online dictionaries often do not have page numbers. When there is no page number, APA suggests more specific location markers such as a section heading or paragraph number, though many dictionary entries are short enough that a simple author–date citation is acceptable. You can write something like:
Resilience is “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to change” (Merriam-Webster, n.d., Definition 2).
In both cases you show that the words are not yours, and you give the reader a clear path back to the source.
Citing Repeated Definitions Across A Paper
You may use the same definition many times in one paper, especially in a long project such as a thesis or capstone. In APA style, you repeat the in-text citation whenever the definition appears again, unless several sentences in a row clearly rely on the same source and no other sources appear in between.
In practice, that means you might give a full citation the first time you present the definition, and then a shorter reminder later in the same section. For example, your first use might read “resilience is defined as … (Merriam-Webster, n.d.),” and later you might say “this definition of resilience shapes the rest of this discussion” with another parenthetical citation if the gap is long.
This steady pattern keeps your reader from guessing which source supports each mention of the term.
Creating Reference Entries For Definitions
The reference list is where an apa citation for definition shows its full detail. Every in-text citation that uses an author and year should have a matching entry in the reference list, except for personal communications such as emails or informal handouts. Reference entries follow a strict order of elements so they are easy to scan.
In every entry, you move through four basic pieces: author, date, title, and source. With definitions, the author is often a group such as a publisher, the date may be missing, and the title has two parts (the entry word and the reference work title). APA guidance on dictionaries and encyclopedias shows the same four-part pattern.
Online Dictionary Definition
Online dictionaries change over time, so APA calls for a retrieval date when you cite an entry from one of them. Here is a model format for an online dictionary definition with no date:
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Resilience. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved March 3, 2025, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resilience
Notice that the group author (Merriam-Webster) appears at the start. The entry word “Resilience” sits in plain text, and the name of the dictionary is in italics. The retrieval statement includes the month, day, and year you last visited the page, along with the live URL.
If the online dictionary gives a clear year for that entry, you can replace “n.d.” with the year and omit the retrieval date unless your instructor or program still expects it. The rest of the structure stays the same.
Print Dictionary Or Encyclopedia Entry
For print reference works, you know which edition you used, so the year in the citation matches that edition. You also add the edition information in brackets after the title. Here is a pattern that you can adapt:
American Heritage Dictionary. (2015). Resilience. In The American Heritage dictionary of the English language (5th ed.). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Some libraries treat the group author as the publisher as well. In that case, the author and publisher names match, and APA drops the publisher from the end of the entry. The dictionary title still appears in italics, and the entry word remains in plain text.
Definition In A Book Chapter Or Journal Article
Not every useful definition comes from a dictionary. Textbooks and journal articles often define key terms in the opening pages of a chapter or research report. When that happens, you treat the definition as part of the regular source. You do not write a special format just because the sentence includes the phrase “is defined as.”
For a chapter in an edited book, the reference entry might look like this:
Nguyen, T. K. (2021). Resilience. In R. Patel (Ed.), Key terms in social science (pp. 15–26). Blue Oak Press.
For a journal article, the entry follows the standard pattern for that type of source:
Lopez, D. M., & Chen, H. F. (2022). Defining resilience in higher education. Journal of Student Success, 18(2), 45–63. https://doi.org/10.1234/jss.2022.18.2.45
In each case, the sentence in your paper that presents the definition still uses a normal in-text citation with author and year.
Examples Of Definition Citations In Apa Style
Seeing full examples side by side often makes the pattern click. The table below shows matched in-text citations and reference entries for several common situations. Each row uses the same term so you can focus on the changes in format rather than the wording of the definition.
| Source Type | In-Text Example | Reference List Example |
|---|---|---|
| Online dictionary | Burnout is “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength” (Merriam-Webster, n.d., Definition 1). | Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Burnout. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved March 3, 2025, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burnout |
| Print dictionary | Empathy can mean “awareness of the feelings of another” (Oxford English Dictionary, 2011, p. 842). | Oxford English Dictionary. (2011). Empathy. In Oxford English dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. |
| Online encyclopedia | Inclusive education has shifted over time (World Book, 2019). | World Book. (2019). Inclusive education. In World Book online. https://www.worldbookonline.com |
| Edited book chapter | Resilience in children has a long research history (Nguyen, 2021). | Nguyen, T. K. (2021). Resilience. In R. Patel (Ed.), Key terms in social science (pp. 15–26). Blue Oak Press. |
| Journal article | One paper defines academic resilience as persistence in study despite obstacles (Lopez & Chen, 2022). | Lopez, D. M., & Chen, H. F. (2022). Defining resilience in higher education. Journal of Student Success, 18(2), 45–63. https://doi.org/10.1234/jss.2022.18.2.45 |
| Course glossary | In this module, resilience is defined as a learned response to stress (OpenLearning Glossary, n.d.). | OpenLearning Glossary. (n.d.). Resilience. In Glossary for EDU101. OpenLearning. https://www.openlearning.edu/edu101/glossary |
You can adapt each pattern by swapping in a different term or source, as long as the same order of elements stays in place. Once you build a small set of sample entries for your own project, new citations take much less time.
Common Mistakes And Quick Fixes
Students often repeat the same small errors when they work with definitions. The list below shows some of the most common trouble spots, along with simple fixes you can apply on your next assignment.
Leaving Out The Source Of A Definition
One frequent mistake is treating a definition as if it came from nowhere. A sentence like “Resilience is the ability to bounce back from hardship” with no citation suggests that you wrote the definition yourself. When the phrasing really came from a dictionary or article, that missing signal can cause problems with academic integrity.
Fix this by adding an in-text citation the first time you use the definition. Even a short parenthetical like “(Merriam-Webster, n.d.)” tells your reader that the wording rests on a published source instead of personal opinion.
Copying Definitions Without Quotation Marks
Another problem appears when writers copy the exact wording of a definition but forget to put quotation marks around it. With reference works, that slip can happen easily because entries feel like “common knowledge.” Still, a copied sentence is treated as a direct quote and needs quotation marks plus an in-text citation.
If you want tight control over phrasing, keep the quotation marks and citation. If you care more about flow, paraphrase the definition instead and keep only the author and year in the sentence.
Dropping Dictionary Entries From The Reference List
Sometimes writers place a neat in-text citation after a definition but forget to list the dictionary or encyclopedia at the end of the paper. That gap breaks the link that APA expects between in-text citations and reference entries.
A simple end-of-draft check solves this. Scan your reference list for each name that appears in your in-text citations. If you see “Merriam-Webster” in the body of the paper, your reference list should also show a full entry for the dictionary or dictionary website.
Quick Workflow For Apa Definition Citations
Once you have used apa citation for definition a few times, you can move through a short routine whenever a new term appears in your writing. This routine keeps your references clean and saves time across a semester.
Step 1: Choose A Reliable Source
Pick a dictionary, encyclopedia, textbook, or article that your field treats as standard. In many subjects, instructors like to see a mix of general dictionaries and subject-specific reference works, such as education or nursing dictionaries. When in doubt, ask which sources your course recommends.
Step 2: Decide Whether To Quote Or Paraphrase
If you need the exact wording, quote the definition and plan to include quotation marks and location details. In most other cases, paraphrasing is the better option because it blends more smoothly with your own sentences and shows that you truly understand the term.
Step 3: Build The In-Text Citation
Write the sentence that carries the definition, then add a parenthetical citation or a narrative citation. Make sure the group author or individual author name appears, along with the year. If the source has no year, use “n.d.” in both the in-text citation and the reference list entry.
Step 4: Create The Reference List Entry
Follow the correct pattern for the source type. Check that the author name in your reference list matches the author name in your in-text citation. Confirm that the entry word is in plain text and the dictionary or encyclopedia title is in italics, and add a retrieval date for online reference works that update over time.
Step 5: Run A Final Consistency Check
Before you submit the paper, skim the full text and the reference list together. Every in-text citation that mentions a published source should line up with a reference entry. Once that link is in place, your use of definitions will look clear, honest, and reader-friendly.
Handled this way, apa citation for definition stops feeling like a special case. It becomes one more routine skill in your writing toolbox, ready to use whenever a term needs a clear, sourced meaning.